---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Call me territorial or narcissistic, but…"
description: "\"Call me territorial or narcissistic, but I avoid novels about people who share my vocation.\" — Julia Glass"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/060/julia-glass-3667_about_call-me-territorial-or-narcissistic-but_134553.png"
---

#  Call me territorial or narcissistic, but I avoid novels…

![“Call me territorial or narcissistic, but I avoid novels about people who share my vocation.” quote by Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/060/julia-glass-3667_about_call-me-territorial-or-narcissistic-but_134553.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/060/julia-glass-3667_about_call-me-territorial-or-narcissistic-but_134553.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/060/julia-glass-3667_about_call-me-territorial-or-narcissistic-but_134553.png)

> “Call me territorial or narcissistic, but I avoid novels about people who share my vocation.”

[Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The author avoids novels about people sharing their profession, perhaps to escape self‑comparison.

**In simple terms:** Avoids similar‑career stories.

Key Takeaway

Seek diverse perspectives beyond your field.

Themes

self‑avoidance career literature

Mood

thoughtful introspective

Type

literary analytical

When to use this quote

- reading habits
- career development
- creative writing
- self‑reflection

Key Concepts

identity psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- Why avoid familiar narratives?
- What can you learn from other fields?

A Different Perspective

Avoidance may limit empathy for peers.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Vocation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vocation/)

## Related quotes

> [It's rather useless to write a gripping narrative with nothing in it but climate change because novels are always about people even if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/it-s-rather-useless-to-write-a-gripping-narrative-with-nothing-in-it/)

[Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/)

> [“Sometimes, I feel like I connect more deeply with the characters in novels than with people I meet in real life. Maybe because in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/varian-krylov/sometimes-i-feel-like-i-connect-more-deeply-with-the-characters-in/)

[Varian Krylov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/varian-krylov/)

> [All my novels are about people who strive to heal and evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-faber/all-my-novels-are-about-people-who-strive-to-heal-and-evolve/)

[Michel Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-faber/)

> [I love movies, but I would love to write as many graphic novels as people would read from me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-beacham/i-love-movies-but-i-would-love-to-write-as-many-graphic-novels-as/)

[Travis Beacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-beacham/)

> [It's true that immigrant novels have to do with people going from one country to another, but there isn't a single novel that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-hijuelos/it-s-true-that-immigrant-novels-have-to-do-with-people-going-from-one/)

[Oscar Hijuelos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-hijuelos/)

> [I imagine as long as people will continue to read novels, people will continue to write them, or vice versa; unless of course the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/i-imagine-as-long-as-people-will-continue-to-read-novels-people-will/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“Plenty of people were writing novels; in fact, if one did a survey in the street, half of Edinburgh was writing a novel, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/plenty-of-people-were-writing-novels-in-fact-if-one-did-a-survey-in/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

> [I wonder if we are all wrong about each other, if we are just composing unwritten novels about the people we meet?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/i-wonder-if-we-are-all-wrong-about-each-other-if-we-are-just/)

[Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/)

> [Novels are about other people and poems are about yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-larkin/novels-are-about-other-people-and-poems-are-about-yourself/)

[Philip Larkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-larkin/)

> [“You can’t write novels about people who are timid, risk-averse and passive. Or you can, but they’re called literary novels.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-follett/you-can-t-write-novels-about-people-who-are-timid-risk-averse-and/)

[Ken Follett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-follett/)

> [I would only read the novels that people classify as 'beach books' if I were being held prisoner and the only alternative was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/i-would-only-read-the-novels-that-people-classify-as-beach-books-if-i/)

[Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/)

> [I think there's a false division people sometimes make in describing literary novels, where there are people who write systems novels, or novels of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-spiotta/i-think-there-s-a-false-division-people-sometimes-make-in-describing/)

[Dana Spiotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-spiotta/)

> [I asked a French critic a couple of years ago why my books did so well in France. He said it was because in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harrison/i-asked-a-french-critic-a-couple-of-years-ago-why-my-books-did-so/)

[Jim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harrison/)

> [Travel books are all sorts - some are autobiographies, some are about falling in love. Some are about having great meals, some are about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/travel-books-are-all-sorts-some-are-autobiographies-some-are-about/)

[Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/)

> [My novels are often about people who are in love or attracted to each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-boyd/my-novels-are-often-about-people-who-are-in-love-or-attracted-to-each/)

[William Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-boyd/)

## More by Julia Glass

> [Nothing teaches great writing like the very best books do. Yet, good teachers often help students cross that bridge, and I have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/nothing-teaches-great-writing-like-the-very-best-books-do-yet-good/)

[Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/)

> [In every novel, I write about something - a place, an experience, an emotion - with which I'm intimately familiar, but it's also crucial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/in-every-novel-i-write-about-something-a-place-an-experience-an/)

[Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/)

> [In my head, at least, the business of spinning stories has no closing time. Twists in my characters' lives, glimpses of their secrets, obstacles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/in-my-head-at-least-the-business-of-spinning-stories-has-no-closing/)

[Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/)

> [I am not opposed to e-readers. Any technology that encourages the reading of literature is a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/i-am-not-opposed-to-e-readers-any-technology-that-encourages-the/)

[Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/)

> [A good novel is an out-of-self experience. It lifts you off the ground so that you have the sensation of flying. It says, 'Look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/a-good-novel-is-an-out-of-self-experience-it-lifts-you-off-the-ground/)

[Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/)

> [“Some might have referred to Vince, Buck and Calvin as "ordinary fellows" or "salt of the earth". Such terms are merely code for men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/some-might-have-referred-to-vince-buck-and-calvin-as-ordinary-fellows/)

[Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/)

> [Now is almost always the better choice. You never know about later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/now-is-almost-always-the-better-choice-you-never-know-about-later/)

[Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/)

> [“On Thursday, the sandwiches Greenie made were pork tenderloins with chipotle mustard, the soup a puree of beets and pears with Beaujolais wine and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/on-thursday-the-sandwiches-greenie-made-were-pork-tenderloins-with/)

[Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/)

> [Most inexperienced cooks believe, mistakenly, that a fine cake is less challenging to produce than a fine souffle or mousse. I know, however, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/most-inexperienced-cooks-believe-mistakenly-that-a-fine-cake-is-less/)

[Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/)

> [I have struggled for decades now with the fear of and resistance to change - mostly in the realms of technology, transportation, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/i-have-struggled-for-decades-now-with-the-fear-of-and-resistance-to/)

[Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/)

> [“None of this Mad Mario showmanship- orange clogs and Bermuda shorts fit for Babar, sweetbreads garnished with squash blossoms stuffed with cheese from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/none-of-this-mad-mario-showmanship-orange-clogs-and-bermuda-shorts/)

[Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/)

> [“Bet you did not know that in Mexico they call a Palomino an Isabella. Or that George Washington's warhorse was an Arab named Magnolia.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/bet-you-did-not-know-that-in-mexico-they-call-a-palomino-an-isabella/)

[Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/)

> [“Always more to learn, that's the pain and the pleasure”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/always-more-to-learn-that-s-the-pain-and-the-pleasure/)

[Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/)

> [“Well, yes, there were quite a lot of books throughout, tumbling out of haphazardly placed bookshelves, stacked beneath chairs, beside beds, even in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/well-yes-there-were-quite-a-lot-of-books-throughout-tumbling-out-of/)

[Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/)

> [From fifth grade on, I worked at our public library. The pay, a pittance, was almost superfluous. All through high school, I looked forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/from-fifth-grade-on-i-worked-at-our-public-library-the-pay-a-pittance/)

[Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/)

[Explore all 125 Julia Glass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

Browse all 26,122 About quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Call me territorial or narcissistic, but I avoid novels about people who share my vocation.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Julia Glass"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/call-me-territorial-or-narcissistic-but-i-avoid-novels-about-people/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/call-me-territorial-or-narcissistic-but-i-avoid-novels-about-people/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/060/julia-glass-3667_about_call-me-territorial-or-narcissistic-but_134553.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/060/julia-glass-3667_about_call-me-territorial-or-narcissistic-but_134553.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/060/julia-glass-3667_about_call-me-territorial-or-narcissistic-but_134553.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Call me territorial or narcissistic, but I avoid novels about people who share my vocation.” — Julia Glass",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Julia Glass",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Call me territorial or narcissistic, but...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/call-me-territorial-or-narcissistic-but-i-avoid-novels-about-people/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/call-me-territorial-or-narcissistic-but-i-avoid-novels-about-people/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
